What's Up with Martha's Feathers?

[CarleeAnn]

I'd start out with offering them about 1/3 cup between them let them get use to the taste if they are like mine they will love it in no time. Then unless they are over weight you can increase it some . I really think having extra weight during cold months isn't bad I stop feeding corn around end of Feb before egg laying season starts.

Okay! Does the gray one look overweight to you? She just seems to have more of a waddle and she doesn’t stand as straight.

I’m sorry @3bird to highjack your thread! Oops

 

[Miss Lydia]

She does look a little on the chubby side what all do you feed?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Well she is enjoy her snack right? Her feathers do look like they need some help.

She did have a molt already?

 

[3bird]

Martha was looking much better when we let them out this morning, but in no time she was soaked. What are you going to do when you have a 10 F heatwave? Here she is when we first let them out this am.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Not much as long as they want to play in the water. Hopefully she'll just get back inside and preen herself dry.

I was looking for frost bite on my scovy's this morning but can't tell yet and some of my chickens have large combs too. We're getting hit again tonight with around 1-3 with wind chills below zero. I know All of us are way over this weather. Are ya'll getting the Nor Easter that is heading up the east coast?

Thankfully we're to be more normal next week, I sure hope it's true.

 

[3bird]

Do your ducks preen each other ever? In the beginning of this video, it looks like Mouse (the duck on the left) is being annoying to Martha, but you'll see she then sort of settles into what looks like preening behavior, which Martha seems to permit. We've observed this before, especially with these two. There is no feather pulling, and generally it seems consensual.